New Engineering Foundation

Green Technologies learning package now available

Fri, 18 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT

We are delighted to launch our new e-learning package in Renewable Technologies, and are offering Module 1, 'Awareness of Environmental Technology Systems', to colleges and businesses for just £1500.
The full programme also provides modules on the installation and maintenance of:

small-scale photovoltaic systems
thermal hot water systems
heat-pump systems (available for Sept 2012)
water harvesting and re-use (available for Sept 2012)

Each of these modules can be purchased by organisations for use on a shared revenue basis*, as part of a learning package that also involves some direct teaching. (*The Awareness Module is a one-off fee of £1500).
Colleges, training providers and construction businesses who would like to make use of these fantastic new resources should contact us to arrange a demonstration.

Full details of the programme are available here

Job Vacancies

Thu, 17 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT

There are several vacancies at New Engineering Foundation (NEF) to support an exciting new project to develop an apprenticeship programme in engineering and environmental sustainability. This is a project with expected completion date of March 2013. It is however anticipated that the roles advertised may be extended beyond that date.

For further details click the links below.

ALL POSTS BELOW ARE NEW POSITIONS

Project Managers

Curriculum Development Managers

Marketing Manager

Telemarketing and Business Development Executive

We are also looking for a permanent IT and Web Services Manager (job description here)

To apply for any post, please email your cv and a covering letter to jobs@thenef.org.uk

Applications for all posts should be received by Friday 1 June.

Mastering Microcontrollers

Thu, 10 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Microcontrollers were the focus of the latest New Engineering Foundation masterclass, held on 18 April at the headquarters of cutting-edge technology firm ARM. Lecturers from 20 colleges got hands-on demonstrations from ARM's experts and came away with exciting ideas for bringing rapid prototyping into the classroom.
Adam Plummer, Curriculum Leader at Blackpool and the Fylde College, was at the workshop and commented: "Thank you for the masterclass I attended yesterday at ARM Holdings, it was really useful and inspirational towards my thinking not just with 'mbed' but for a whole new approach towards education of FE & HE students"

Innovation workshop

Wed, 09 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Thanks to the delegates who attended today's Innovation workshop, with plenty of contributions and opinions making for a lively day.
The next workshop takes place on 14 June at the IoD in Birmingham - to reserve a space click here

The workshop took place in our London training suite

South Cheshire College awarded STEM Assured

Thu, 26 Apr 2012 00:00:00 GMT

South Cheshire College has been announced as the latest Further Education provider to achieve the New Engineering Foundation's STEM Assured status. This award recognises excellence in the quality of scientific, technical, mathematical and engineering delivery in education and training.

The validation panel completed made their recommendation that the college has achieved the required level of quality on 26 April.

The NEF’s Dr Sarah Peers, who led the STEM Assured process, commented: “This was a strong application showing evidence of good practice embedded at both lecturer and management levels at the college, with follow-through in ensuring that provision meets the needs of employers and students at the college. Resources at the college are of a high standard, and there is strong support by employers locally and beyond.”

The Validation Panel, consisting of experts from industry and education, noted in their feedback: “South Cheshire’s STEM team think strategically. As a result, the provision of STEM education is of a consistently high quality. ”

Rosie McGinley, Head of Faculty for Applied Technology, Maths and Science (ATMS) at South Cheshire was delighted with the award. She said: "This has been very much a team effort as we strive to give our students the best learning experience here and equip them with the skills they need to secure employment in the workplace."

Peter Swift, South Cheshire College Principal, added: "This is excellent news for the College and reflects the hard work of all the staff and students in the ATMS faculty."

To date, NEF have also awarded STEM Assured status to City and Islington, Macclesfield, South Devon, and Nelson & Colne Colleges. STEM Assured provides a valuable boost to a college both in its ability to attract students and its proposition to employers. The process itself encourages a strategic and cross-curricular approach to the STEM offer, and the feedback from the panel helps guide further enhancements and curriculum development. For more information on STEM Assured please click here

South Cheshire College has Beacon status and has been graded 'Outstanding' at its last two Ofsted inspections. STEM Assured is the latest in its list of accolades.

More details on this story from the South Cheshire website here

The future of STEM in Wales

Wed, 18 Apr 2012 00:00:00 GMT

The New Engineering Foundation is holding a forum for senior managers and STEM curriculum leaders from Welsh colleges.

Taking place at Park House, Cardiff, on Tuesday 19 June, the event will feature speakers and discussion covering:
- skills for emerging technologies and employer engagement opportunities
- successful transition to new circumstances
- generating new revenue streams and accessing funding
- developing STEM partnerships.

The event is free, and runs from 9am-1.30pm with lunch included.
Places can be reserved by emailing Dean.Weston@thenef.org.uk

New innovation workshop dates announced

Mon, 02 Apr 2012 00:00:00 GMT

We are pleased to announce new dates for some of our workshop programmes.

1. Our IKE Enable workshop is designed to improve the capability of individuals to innovate and develop new products, services and markets. The next dates are Thursday 10 May at our training centre in London and Thursday 14 June at the IoD in Birmingham. Click here for more details and to reserve a space

2. The IKE Advance workshop is a new training day designed to help organisations enhance their competitive edge through innovation. This workshop uses real-world examples and specially-developed tools to evolve from a strategic emphasis on innovation through to an action plan that will advance productivity and growth. The next sessions is on Thursday 21 June in our London centre. To find out more please email us and we'll send you full details.

3. Specifically designed for educational institutions, Generating New Revenue Streams is an essential workshop for managers who want to exploit opportunities to diversify income. You will end the day with a clear understanding of how to generate opportunities for new services and markets. You’ll also identify achievable steps to create and implement your plans.

Theme 1: Exploiting your strengths. How to identify and capitalise on your USPs and gaps in the market to create immediate opportunities for your college.
Theme 2: Opportunity spotting. This session introduces ‘Horizon Scanning’ - how you can monitor and evaluate key drivers for change.
Theme 3: Maximising customer value. We show you two crucial factors in creating customer satisfaction, ensuring repeat business and being the first choice provider for your customers when they need new services.

The next dates for this workshop are:

Wednesday 16 May in London
Monday 21 May in Birmingham

To find out more please email us and we'll send you full details.

Scottish Science Curriculum benefits from fellowship scheme

Sun, 01 Apr 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Forth Valley has become the first College in Scotland to benefit from the New Engineering Foundation's Industrial Fellowship Scheme. Read more here

Cloud made clear at NEF/Microsoft Masterclass

Sat, 31 Mar 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Tutors from colleges around the country attended our most recent masterclass, on Cloud Computing, held at Microsoft’s headquarters in Reading last week. As well as hearing about the latest developments in Cloud technology, delegates had an exclusive tour of Microsoft’s labs and heard from some of the company’s leading trainers.

The NEF’s Dr Matt Shelley said: “We’re delighted that Microsoft hosted and contributed so much to this Masterclass. The tutors who attended were all keen to take the knowledge they gained back to their learners, who will be using Cloud technology both in their course and future careers.”

Our masterclasses are open to anyone, and are subsidised by our foundation for teachers in schools and FE. Details on future masterclasses can be found here

IKE Newsletter out now

Thu, 29 Mar 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Our new IKE Newsletter is now available. Click here to read it (PDF)

Content includes:
- Introducing the Institute of Innovation and Knowledge Exchange
- Reflections on Innovation from several industrial leaders
- Apply to join the IKE Journal Editorial Board
- New IKE services and workshops
- Updates on research and other projects

NEF takes students to House of Commons event

Wed, 14 Mar 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Two outstanding engineering students from Nelson and Colne were guests with NEF's Dr Matt Shelley at the Voices of the Future event at the House of Commons last week. The event, organised by the Society of Biology, gave young people working in or studying STEM subjects the chance to ask questions about how government directs and supports scientific education and industry.

Joan Peagram from Nelson and Colne College said: "We had a fabulous day, getting the chance to chat with some of the committee. The students were also interviewed for a programme on Radio 4."

The New Engineering Foundation had the opportunity to send guests as a prominent organisation in education and science. The event included a Science Question Time with the David Willetts MP, Minister for Universities & Science and an additional session with the Commons Select Committee on Science & Technology.

Nelson and Colne College is a STEM Assured college

South Devon College awarded STEM Assured by Lord Baker

Mon, 05 Mar 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Former Education Secretary Lord Kenneth Baker presented South Devon College with the STEM Assured award at a ceremony on Thursday 1 March. The College was the second in the UK to join the elite group of ‘STEM Assured’ colleges, awarded by the New Engineering Foundation (NEF). Lord Baker was joined by Professor Sa’ad Medhat, NEF Chief Executive – who also officially opened the College’s new Energy Centre.

During the event, guests got the opportunity to meet engineering students on the College’s STEM bus, a mobile training unit designed to visit schools and STEM events.

“As a leading progressive College we are delighted to have received NEF's STEM Assured validation for our work in partnership with STEM industry sectors.”, said South Devon College Principal Stephen Criddle, “This is a huge accolade recognising South Devon College’s innovative and committed staff. We look forward to further working with local employers, following this top level award.

”The NEF STEM Assured standard has been specifically developed to assure the quality of an integrated, cross-curricular approach to STEM vocational education. The approval process is robust and involves a critical review of the provider’s strategy and approach to ensure their vocational STEM offer meets the needs of employers and industry sectors. South Devon College is one of only five colleges in the country to achieve this quality mark to date.

STEM Assured has already helped South Devon College develop partnerships with employers and has also led to their leading role in developing a UTC in the region. More about STEM Assured.

NEF at South West STEM events

Fri, 02 Mar 2012 00:00:00 GMT

The NEF took part in today's highly successful LSIS South West STEM conference in Exeter (Fri 2 March 2012). Professor Sa'ad Medhat addressed the 100 delegates from schools, colleges and universities across the region on the subject of 'The Intelligent College'. We then held a workshop on embedding a coherent STEM strategy across the curriculum. To find out more about the value of a STEM strategy and how you can develop one, please click here

Innovation book endorsement: Transformation - DIG for Realism

Thu, 01 Mar 2012 00:00:00 GMT

UCL's Institute for Security and Resilience Studies has just released its second major publication: Transformation - DIG for Realism, by JP MacIntosh, JK Mahrra and LR Tyler. The book assesses how organisations can successfully navigate the challenges of Transformation and Innovation.

In the book, the authors consider the current strategic trends, shaped by the on-going economic crises, moving on to explain how and why organisational learning too often fails to deliver transformation. It also makes recommendations for our evolving circumstances, making the publication essential reading for managers who value innovation in entrepreneurship.

The New Engineering Foundation's Professor Sa'ad Medhat is among those endorsing the book. He said:
This is a major contribution to our understanding of the real nature of change - both its pitfalls and rewards. Challenging norms in retrospect is all too easy, but pointless. For leadership determined to drive healthy innovation and future growth, ‘Transformation: DIG for realism’ is required reading.

The book can be downloaded from the ISRS website free of charge, here

Skills for Climate Change report published

Tue, 28 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT

The New Engineering Foundation’s new research report, “Meeting the Low Carbon Challenge”, was launched today (28 February) at a reception for business and education leaders. The report, commissioned by London Capital Colleges, led by Newham College, identifies resources in the London FE and HE sector that support knowledge transfer to businesses in construction and building engineering. It also highlights the extent to which such businesses are engaged with the low carbon agenda through their clients and staff development.

Speaking at today’s launch, NEF CEO Professor Sa’ad Medhat outlined key findings and recommendations from the report (download the report free here). The audience, including key figures from London business and colleges, also watched demonstrations from NEF and Skills for Climate Change on the e-learning resources that are being developed to respond to low carbon technology skills needs.

Among the key findings of the report are:

53% of FE/HE institutions said that the low carbon agenda was either ‘central to their work’ or ‘is a factor in most courses’. 47% have no, or peripheral, involvement.
Only 26% of companies in the building sector are finding that their clients are requesting low carbon technologies.
Only 41% of companies are currently interested in accessing help and advice to deliver work that involves new low carbon technologies.

The recommendations attempt to tackle these problems, and include, for example:

For colleges and universities to develop models of integration, in order to ensure better connection between skills supply with demand
For the education sector to focus on providing solutions to employers, not merely lists of qualifications
For government and policy makers to clarify ‘green’ legislation and prepare a communication strategy delivering concise messages to the public on ‘green’ opportunities

Skills for Climate Change is an ongoing project which is at the heart of driving the environmental learning and skills agenda to create a low carbon London. Visit the SFCC website here

Composite materials masterclass

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT

The latest NEF Masterclass took place yesterday at Yeovil College's Composite Materials Research Centre.
20 lecturers from FE colleges across England had practical demonstrations in the cutting-edge facilities and heard from leading experts on the use of composites in aerospace and other industries.

The Future of STEM Education in Scotland

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT

The New Engineering Foundation is to hold a forum for senior managers and STEM curriculum leaders from Scottish colleges. Taking place at the IoD, Glasgow, on Thursday 15 March, the event will feature speakers and discussion covering:
- skills for emerging technologies and employer engagement opportunities
- accessing funding
- successful transition to new funding and qualifications
- developing STEM partnerships.
Speakers include Sa'ad Medhat, CEO of the New Engineering Foundation, plus senior figures from the Scottish education system.
The event is free, and runs from 9am-1.30pm with lunch included.
Places to be booked with Dean.Weston@thenef.org.uk

NEF supports the Military Education Committee at the University of London

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT

NEF Directors Professor Sa’ad Medhat and Michelle Medhat and Trustee Dan Fox met several Officer Cadets at a Military Education Committee reception last night, at the University of London’s Senate House. The reception was held to mark the achievements of young people progressing through the University of London Royal Naval Unit, Officers’ Training Corps and London Air Squadron. HRH The Princess Royal, Chancellor of the University of London, Royal Honorary Colonel of the OTC and Royal Honorary Air Commodore of ULAS, spoke at the function and met with guests including the NEF representatives. She was impressed with NEF’s support for the organisation, a recognition of the importance of technology and engineering to the armed forces as a whole.

Michelle Medhat said:

“We strongly support the Cadetship schemes, which not only enhance the Cadet’s technical and problem-solving skills but also develop responsibility and leadership. These are extremely valuable traits in young people.”

Photo: Princess Anne in discussion with NEF's Michelle Medhat and Sa'ad Medhat

The Engineering Diploma: our statement

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT

The Engineering Diploma is a qualification to be championed, says NEF CEO

The Government’s review of vocational qualifications includes the Engineering Diploma in a list of around 3,000 qualifications which may not be recognised from September 2012. Creating qualifications for the sole reason of wanting to improve the league tables, but which in reality hold no credence with employers, colleges or universities is irresponsible. Learners are just wasting their time. However, vocational courses should be supported when they combine educational and economic value. The Engineering Diploma does just that, having been developed with industrialists in the last 5 years to match the skills learners and employers need. It provides robustness in delivery and contemporary, real and relevant curriculum, helping learners progress into further studies and gain a footing into a worthwhile career.

Course content of The Engineering Diploma is underpinned by academics and industrialists and is fit for purpose both economically and academically. It is not one of ‘worthless’ qualifications that Professor Wolf has described, and should not be treated as such.

The New Engineering Foundation advocates that the educational offer for 14-19 year-olds should lead young people to think and develop cognitive abilities. However, research suggests that cognitive abilities have been in decline as test scores have been rising. Clearly, a poor diet of ‘make-believe’ GCSEs or ‘dead-end’ vocational courses is not the remedy. The curriculum should reinforce the attributes and develop the abilities needed for success in life and work. This means the ‘soft skills’ for employability, and the sharper attributes for enterprise.

The key is to ensure that young people follow fewer, broader qualifications that equip them well, and in each case ‘inculcate ingenuity’. This is much easier if there is effective work in schools and colleges on careers, so that individuals can better plan their own paths from an early stage. By having robust, employer-valued vocational qualifications, parity of esteem with academic qualifications can be achieved.

We are lobbying to defend the Engineering Diploma and encourage individuals and organisations to support us. If you would like to add your voice to ours, please email me

Professor Sa'ad Medhat, Chief Executive, New Engineering Foundation

UPDATE: Professor Medhat's letter on this subject appeared in the London Evening Standard on Wednesday 1 February. You can view the Standard online here (registration required)

Nelson & Colne College awarded 'STEM Assured'

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Nelson & Colne College has been awarded STEM Assured - an industry-led quality mark - by the New Engineering Foundation (NEF)

Nelson & Colne College has been awarded STEM Assured - an industry-led quality mark - by the New Engineering Foundation (NEF).

The standard recognises excellence in STEM (Science, Engineering, Technology and Maths) provision within the Further Education sector, with a particular focus on industry relevance and embedding STEM skills across a range of learning areas. STEM Assured is recognised by the UK Commission for Employment & Skills (UKCES) and The National Apprenticeship Service (NAS). The award reflects the Lancashire-based College’s determination to be at the forefront of STEM provision and meet the needs of local and national employers.

Dr Sarah Peers, NEF’s Director of Programmes, who led the validation process, said:
“In addition to the admirable student-centred approach of the college, there is an emphasis on progression and pathways to STEM industries. Alongside effective links with employers there were many examples of good practice to ensure science and engineering courses related to industry and up-to-date practice. The Pre-Med programme, developed to support students considering careers and opportunities in the health and medical industries was highlighted and we urge the College to extend this model to other STEM areas”.

Joan Peagam, the College’s Divisional Manager for Science, Maths and Engineering, added:
“We wish to develop further excellence in our STEM provision and we are delighted that our achievements so far are being recognised through this award.” (see also: Nelson and Colne College reacts to the award)

The Validation Panel, which included experts from FTSE 100 and leading high-technology companies, recommended that STEM Assured should be the springboard to developing an explicit strategy for STEM across the College. In this way, the STEM Assured process will lead to further improvements in a College already rated as Outstanding at its last OFSTED inspection.

Read more about Nelson and Colne College's Engineering curriculum here